Working during RN-BSN?

For those of you who did a bridge from RN to BSN, did you work while in school?

Im super fortunate that I didn't really have to work during my ADN, (I am done in September) and Im wondering if completing the BSN is as challenging as the ADN program.

Have you seen many people struggle with working and in a BSN at the same time? Is it like the ADN, where everyone tells you NOT to work at all?

Input from other programs as well! Did you work during your MSN, or PA, or ARNP or CRNA program?

26 Answers

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

Nearly all RN to BSN are designed for working RNs. I worked more than full time during mine. It was easy. There are also many MSN programs designed for working RNs. Some NP programs are set up for working nurses, some are designed to be full time. Pretty much all CRNA programs are way more than full time and working pretty much isn't possible. That said we have a few CRNA students who work every Saturday or every other Saturday

ive read many articles regarding Rn to BSN programs. they say that the most effective way to accomplish this program while you work is to ask if it would be possible to take the course on your free time or days off.. i hope this helps.

Specializes in ICU.

In my BSN program, it was mostly just more literature and history classes. There was very little actual nursing classes. Every school is different, though. I had to take several research classes, and a pathophysiology class, a trans-cultural nursing class. It was very easy, and nothing like the hell of the ADN program! I wish the different schools were more alike in the material you need, but they aren't. I worked full-time, because the classes were just once per week, usually, and the grading at that school was far more lenient than the ADN program that I had taken. Also, the research classes were basically just more about "how" to write a research paper.

Specializes in Med Surg.

I am doing an online RN to BSN program, and it is completely doable for me working full time nights. But if I was doing a classroom program requiring face to face time, that might be a different story. I worked during my ADN too and it was rough but I made it.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I teach in an RN-BSN program. I also work in a hospital and have several friends who are in RN-BSN programs.

The big questions are:

1. How many courses do you plan to take per semester?

2. Are you planning to attend a school whose RN-BSN program is equal in academic rigor to traditional BSN programs?

The fact is that some schools are more rigorous than others and require more committment on the part of the student. If a program requires a level of work and committment equal to a traditional, high-quality education ... a "full time" student should expect to work the number of hours equivalent to a "full time" job -- 35-40 hours per week. With such a program, it is almost impossible to do a good job if you both work full time and go to school full time. However, it would be possible to do one (work or school) full time while doing the other on a part time basis. It would also be possible to do both on a part time basis. Most of the people I know do one (either work or school) full time and the other on a part time basis. In other words, they either work full time and take 1 or 2 courses per semester ... or they go to school full time and only work part time.

However, there are a lot of RN-BSN programs out there that are not all that rigorous. They may require a lot of "busy-work" to complete, but they don't require the deep intellectual work that necessitates you spend 10 hours per course per week. If that's the type of program you are planning to attend, then you may be able to handle more working and/or more courses per semester.

When I hear about people working full time while also going to school full time ... I figure they are either doing a bad job at both ... or they are going to a very easy school. It is not reasonable to expect yourself to work 40 hours per week and also go to school 40 hours per week. That just doesn't add up to any sort of schedule you can maintain for very long, and the quality of your work (and life in general) is bound to suffer.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

TX911:

The 8-10 hours per week per standard 3-credit, semester long course is not something I made up. It is the national standard promulgated by the federal government and most leaders in higher education. That means that someone taking 4 classes per semester should expect to spend 32-40 hours per week on schoolwork.

If you want to spend 80 hours per week working (job + school) ... that's your choice. But it is not the life most people want to lead. That kind of lifestyle using comes at a cost to either the quality of your work and/or the quality of your life.

If you don't want to invest that much time in your education ... that's your choice too. But I know a lot of people with letters behind their names who didn't learn much in school because they "slid through the program" -- doing enough to pass, but not really getting a great education. The lack of quality and rigor in some nursing programs is partly due to the acceptance of such "slacking" by society in general. I want better for myself and our profession. I was hoping the OP did, too.

Specializes in Oncology.

I started nursing in a 4 year BSN program. I did odd stuff here and there and worked part time as a nanny while I was in it. I did a job at school maybe 3-5 hours per week and nannied around 10-12 hours per week. This was certainly doable. I took 18 credits per semester.

While I work working as an RN full time (38 hours per week) I went back to school for FNP. I was able to start the NP classes part time and was taking 6 credits per semester initially. This was also certainly doable. For the last 3 semesters, however, I had to start the clinical component and average 20 hours of clinical a week on top of work plus class material. This was hellish. Every part of my life suffered for those 18 months. I knew I wasn't doing the best academically as I could. I wasn't well rested when I went to work, and felt my patience and compassion suffered for that. I wasn't helping my coworkers as much as I had previously. I wasn't seeing my family much and felt like a derelict friend. I managed, though, and it was only 18 months. I feel if I hadn't had a clinical component it would have been okay. Since BSN programs really don't have clinicals that I have heard of, you're likely to be fine.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I attended classes for oomy BSN and was lucky enough to have a supervisor who arranged my work schedule so I could attend school. With my MSN I worked five 8-hour days and did the program online. So, yes, it can be done. You have to focus.

I worked full time and did 15 hours a semester. My program actually encouraged working. It was actually only 9 hours a semester but I landed a scholarship when I graduated from my asn program that required 15 but I managed. I continued to work full time up until this semester in my FMHNP program but I had to quit. No way I could do 20+ hours clinical time and work m-f 7-3. I graduate in 11 months so ready to be done...lol... I will start my dnp a year after graduation at UAB.

Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

Yes, it is very possible to work while completing an RN-BSN program. The classes are just busy work so you'll need time to write endless papers, but it can be done. Unless, writing is not your strength. In general, there's no highly intellectual anything going on -- no matter what many try to make you think.

If I were you, I would skip the BSN altogether and find myself an ADN-MSN bridging program. Better use of time, effort, and money.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

When I did my RN-BSN I worked 3 12 hr nights a week, had 4 kids and was pregnant. Yes...it is doable. I had a 3.7 or 3.8 GPA. I went with an online program because couldn't commit to being in class on specific nights...my work schedule was the issue there. So online for me!

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
What online program did u do? I'm looking at u of Texas Arlington...

I did Chamberlain College of Nursing. I was very happy with the school and how things went. Everything was predictable...which was nice. I'm now in grad school at Drexel University (so you can get into grad school after a BSN with Chamberlain) and I miss the predictability of Chamberlain. Chamberlain was set up in a way where expectations for each class were very similar...due dates for discussion boards, the times things were due. Now I'm at Drexel and sometimes something is due on Friday or Saturday or Sunday and it may be noon or midnight or 8 pm. So ever class is very different with very different rules. I liked that Chamberlain was...predictable. It really helped plan my life while doing school and working and having a family.

My husband is working on his RN and plans to do Chamberlain for his BSN and possibly his MSN too!

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